Mom’s Upside-Down Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed peppers, or peperoni ripieni, are a beloved part of Italian regional cooking. From the iconic square Peperone Quadrato d’Asti of Piedmont in the north to the bull-horn-shaped Corno di Toro peppers favored in the south, Italian cooks fry, stuff, pickle, and grill them. They often appear as part of an antipasto. Sweet bell peppers are available year-round, making them ideal for stuffing and baking during colder months. Depending on the filling, they can serve as a complete meal in a neat package. Popular fillings range from rice, vegetables, meats, and cheese to whatever inspires the cook. I carry on a family tradition by baking stuffed peppers the way my mother always did: upside down. This method keeps the filling moist, prevents it from drying out, and locks in flavor. As a bonus, the peppers taste even better the next day.
Ingredients
- Tomato Sauce:
- 4tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled and minced
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (28oz) cans, crushed tomatoes
- 1 (28oz) can, tomato puree
- 2tsp salt
- 1/2tsp coarse black pepper
- 5 or 6 leaves fresh basil, shredded
- Filling:
- 4 large sweet bell peppers, washed and dried
- 1/4lb ground sirloin
- 1/4lb ground pork
- 1 cup cooked farro or rice
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1 large anon, peeled and minced
- 2 eggs
- 2tbsp minced parsley
- 2tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp coarse black pepper
Directions
- To make the sauce: In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and cook the onion until it softens. Stir in the garlic and cook until the garlic softens. Lower the heat and stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato puree, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer the sauce for 35 minutes. Stir in the basil.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Cut off the tops of the peppers and set aside. Carefully remove the seeds with a spoon, then rinse the peppers and set them aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the meats farro or rice, cheese, onions, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix gently with your hands. Fill the cavities of the peppers with some of the mixture, being careful
- Ladle 1-1/2 cups of tomato sauce a large baking pan. Using your hands to hold the filling in place, add the peppers to the pan upside down. Tuck the caps in the pan. Ladle 1-1/2 cups of the sauce over the peppers. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the peppers are soft.
- . Remove the pan from the oven, remove the foil, and carefully turn the peppers right-side up. Replace the caps and serve them immediately with additional sauce on the side.
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